Category Archives: History

Dogs vary more in size than any other mammal on earth, from teacup-sized Chihuahuas to towering Great Danes. Most of this extreme variation has arisen over the past two centuries with the rise of modern dog breeding.  But Victorian dog … Continue reading →

Where and when did dogs arise? It’s one of the greatest mysteries of domestication, and one that remains unresolved despite decades of study. Scientists know that all modern dogs descend from a population of gray wolves. But exactly who these … Continue reading →

Unlike the ongoing mystery of where and when dogs arose, the history of cats is a less convoluted affair. Most scholars agree–based on both archaeological and genetic evidence–that domestic cats likely arose in the Middle East some 10,000 years ago. … Continue reading →

Ancient pet cemeteries are rare. Archaeologists do find dog and cat burials, sometimes dating back 10,000 years or more. But these creatures are typically interred alone, or with people, in one-offs–not in a dedicated burial ground. Researchers have also unearthed dozens of cat … Continue reading →

Given our deep and enduring relationship with dogs, it’s remarkable that scientists still don’t know where our canine pals came from, or when they arose. Researchers have speculated that dogs evolved everywhere from Southeast Asia to the Middle East, and … Continue reading →

In 1885, an elderly Scottish woman decided to bury her cat, Tom, in a nearby cemetery. Though the decision might not seem controversial to us, it caused a riot in Edinburg. The woman, hoping for a “decent burial” for Tom, … Continue reading →

I always enjoy writing about cats and dogs, but I had an especially good time covering this story on ancient dog poop for Science last week. Here’s the gist: A team of molecular archaeologists (cool job!) had spent six years collecting ancient … Continue reading →

As we all deal with the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, I’ve been reminded of another plague: The Black Death, the most devastating pandemic the world has ever seen. By some estimates, as much as half of Europe’s population perished, and more … Continue reading →

Much of dog domestication is still shrouded in mystery. We don’t know where dogs first evolved, for example, or even when this happened. So we’ve filled these blank pages with a lot of speculation. Early dogs must have been working … Continue reading →

Dogs remain one of the biggest mysteries of domestication. Despite decades of research, we still don’t know where they came from–or even when they arose. But a couple of new studies are shedding light on when our relationship with dogs … Continue reading →